Astros stay in the win column
McCullers Jr. returns to the mound as Astros start 2-0 against the Mariners
Jul 25, 2020, 6:03 pm
Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images
Lance McCullers made his return to the MLB mound in a win on Saturday
With the first game and win under their belt, the Astros went back to work on Saturday against the Mariners in Houston. They worked behind Lance McCullers Jr., making his return to the mound after missing the 2019 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. McCullers would put together a strong start, and Houston's offense continued to stack up runs en route to the win and a 2-0 record.
Final Score: Astros 7, Mariners 2.
Record: 2-0, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Lance McCullers Jr. (1-0, 3.00 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Taijuan Walker (0-1, 13.50 ERA).
Houston strikes first and builds an early lead
In the bottom half of the first inning, the Astros wasted no time at the plate, getting a one-out walk by Jose Altuve, who moved to second on a single by Alex Bregman, then scored on an RBI-single by Michael Brantley, grabbing a quick 1-0 lead.
Yuli Gurriel made his first hit of 2020 an impressive one, crushing a ball in the bottom of the fourth for a solo home run to extend the lead to 2-0. Later in the same inning, Kyle Tucker would end Taijuan Walker's day with an RBI-double to make it 3-0, and Martin Maldonado added two more on a two-RBI double to push the lead to 5-0.
Stack it up. 📈#ForTheH pic.twitter.com/3VCQD1cLyY
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 25, 2020
McCullers Jr. provides six strong innings
Lance McCullers Jr. struggled with his command early in the game, starting in the top of the first loading the bases after a double and two walks. He would get a much-needed double play to end the threat, keeping the game scoreless. He had more traffic in the second inning but again was able to induce groundballs to keep the lead. His first clean inning came in the third as he was able to settle in, though in the top of the fifth, George Springer made a nasty collision with the center-field wall going after a fly ball, which resulted in a leadoff triple.
The Mariners turned that into a run with a sacrifice groundout, but McCullers Jr. would follow that with two strikeouts to end the frame. In the bottom of the fifth, Carlos Correa made it a five-run lead again with an RBI-single to bring the score to 6-1. McCullers Jr. would complete the sixth inning, even after allowing a solo home run to trim the lead to 6-2, leaving in position for the win. His final line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 1 HR.
We could watch this 24 times in a row. #ForTheH pic.twitter.com/GAcJLJvPvH
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 25, 2020
Houston's bullpen wraps things up again
After the scary impact with the wall earlier, Springer must have felt just fine, launching a two-out dinger in the bottom of the sixth to make it 7-2. In the top of the seventh, another Astro made their major-league debut, this time Cristian Javier out of the bullpen. Javier worked around a one-out single for a scoreless inning of work.
Cy Sneed took over on the mound in the eighth, and he was able to work around a one-out double by striking out three Mariners. Still 7-2 after eight, Roberto Osuna made his 2020 debut in the top of the ninth after being labeled as questionable to take part in this series after a slow progression in Summer Camp. Osuna was able to put an end to the game, throwing a scoreless inning to move the Astros to 2-0 on the early season.
Up Next: Game three of this four-game set will be on Sunday at 1:10 PM Central at Minute Maid Park. The pitching matchup will be Yusei Kikuchi on the mound for Seattle, going opposite of Zack Greinke for Houston. Greinke will be making his first meaningful start since Game 7 of the 2019 World Series.
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The Houston Astros are hoping their ace can help them build momentum.
After taking the series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the AL West–leading Astros (58–42) send left-hander Framber Valdez to the mound Tuesday night looking to stretch their edge and get back on track following a rocky 10-game stretch.
Valdez (10–4, 2.75 ERA) has been steady all season, and Houston needs another big outing. The Astros have dropped seven of their last ten despite strong efforts from their starting rotation. But Valdez, with a 1.12 WHIP and 125 strikeouts, remains the club’s most consistent option, and his ability to navigate Arizona’s home run, heavy lineup could be the key to another series win.
The Diamondbacks (50–51), meanwhile, sit just under .500 but have shown flashes, especially at home. Arizona averages nearly 1.5 homers per game, led by Geraldo Perdomo and Corbin Carroll. But left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (3–6, 5.94 ERA) has struggled in his first season with the club and draws a tough assignment against one of the AL’s top on-base units.
Just in the nick of time?
Christian Walker, who hit a clutch double against is former team in the opener, is finally giving the Astros the middle-of-the-order power they hoped for when they brought him in. Walker has 13 doubles, a triple, 13 home runs and 51 RBIs for the Astros. With the Astros' rash of injuries, they need Walker's production now more than ever. He has 4 RBIs and 1 dinger in his last 3 games.
Houston enters Tuesday with a narrow edge in the series and on the betting line (-126), but they know there’s little room for error. While Arizona has split its last ten games and actually outscored opponents during that span, the Astros are still trying to shake off a slump that’s seen them hit just .234 with a 4.83 ERA in their last 10.
With the trade deadline looming and the division race tightening, every game — and every inning Valdez can give them — matters a little more.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Astros -126, Diamondbacks +105; over/under is 8 1/2 runs.
Game 2 lineup
Back at it.
⚾️: 8:40pm CDT | 6:40pm MST
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3 FM#BuiltForThis x @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/fPitYgSnMf
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 22, 2025
What are the big takeaways from Tuesday night's lineup? Cam Smith is leading off again, even though many have been pleading with Joe Espada (me included) to leave him in the cleanup spot. Altuve is in the two-spot and serving as the DH.
Hey, at least Christian Walker isn't hitting fourth! (We'll take the small victories when we get them)! Walker is hitting third, followed by Yainer Diaz (C), and Chas McCormick (CF). Game 1 hero Brice Matthews is hitting six and playing second base, followed by Mauricio Dubon (3B), Cooper Hummel (LF), and Zack Short (SS).
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